hello guys took my exam exam last nov 26, i stopped at no 78...lots of meds and prioritization..hope i'll passes this time..keeping my hope and faith strong!

Kljanna,
Stopping early at 78 is a very good sign. I think you would have to get a lot of questions wrong if you failed at 78. Just think, people can get 200 questions and more. I bet the computer "knew" you passed!
Diahni

Nov 29, '07

First and Foremost before I begin I have to thank God without whom I would not have made it through nursing school, let alone the beast known as the NCLEX...so ALL MY PRAISE GOES TO GOD!!!!!!!

Ok, that having been said, thought I'd share what my study technique/test taking was basically in a nutshell: (disclaimer: and I'm not saying follow my lead it is dangerous....lol, just 'sharing with the group'..)

First I Used Saunder's CD and took the exam on the main components in the detailed NCLEX test plan eg:

Ok, so those are the main categories of the test plan that basically *is* the test...(the integrated processes, etc are integrated throughout the test, so I didn't focus on them. I call them the umbrella so to speak, covered throughout it all)
I basically got a 'baseline' so to speak of where I stood by taking the exam of the main components which are identified in the test plan by the percentage of each that will be scored on the test...

Then I scanned the ones in the test plan marked by an asterisk that is pointed out to be the subjects that an entry level nurse should be knowledgeable in (to me that was basically a *hint*)...paying special attention to the identified labs that could be on the test....(those are the labs I specifically memorized for the test), along with the ABG numbers as well.....

I took a day to do nothing but dosage cal. as it is my weak area if I don't practice, so I made sure I was up to par on it......

Then the rest of my study time was studying nothing but the areas that the Saunder's exam scored me at being deficient, ie <70%......and that studying was mainly doing tons of questions in those areas with reading the rationale for all.....the day before the test I was scoring around 85%

Not bragging on myself, and do not recommend it, but I'm crazy like that, I graduated in May, took 6 months off to get some health problems I was having that were distracting under control......and began studying for the NCLEX 5 days before the test.....yes, I am bad...and I am also the exception, and also very very lucky.....

I made sure I had a clear understanding of the format of the test itself, the types of questions, the wording, distractors, etc.... and I also understood the "everyone gets 50% 'right' means of grading the test" in relation to the difficulty of the questions...i don't know if knowing this hurts or help as far test anxiety goes..haha....

anyway, after the test i felt like i had been hit by a mack truck ..lol
someone posted this quote on this forum, i am paraphrasing, and apologize for not being able to give the proper credit....but it was something to the effect of 'if it keeps getting harder and harder and has you muttering what the hell? as you go along, your in good shape'.....thank you to whoever it was that wrote that, because post test, it became my mantra.....:kiss

the first thing i did when i began to test was write all my memorized values on the eraser board as soon as i began so they were there and i didn't have to worry about it later in the test....

When taking the test I read the question and if i felt i understood it and knew the answer, i answered , double checked it, hit submit and went on with it.....

if i wasn't sure, I re-read it over and over, reread the answers over and over.....made sure whatever i chose was answering what it was asking......especially with those what is the exception/what wouldn't you do, etc....those can be tricky if rushed....

i used the abc's, maslows, and the nursing process in trying to come up with an answer,

and when all else failed, haha, i literally found myself using the good ole sesame street song...lol......i would look at the answer and be like: one of these things is not like the other, come on, can you tell me which one....haha...I swear!! and with some serious brow -sweating critical thinking combined with simple sesame street wisdom i would find the uncommon answer and would pick that one....
and then of course finally if no hope was found, try to eliminate the distractors and guess.....

i had a TON of SATA, alot of math, and the thing sensed where my deficiencies were....I mean it hit me for all it was worth.....so I was very grateful I focused my studies on my deficiencies....integrated with those questions were a ton of priority/delegation, and I got about five full blown managerial type questions which blew me away......

to me the questions that i seemed to do best on were the one's that post nursing school were the subjects i KNEW, not just memorized to pass a test...that is the difference between really learning something and being able to critically think about it, or just trying to make a grade...of course i didn't KNOW everything in nursing school, but like everyone else there were topics that i did better in than others.....
when i studied in school i would *try* to study/read it as if i were reading a novel or something i actually enjoyed, haha, and that helped me alot in my comprehension...i'm an avid reader anyway, so that worked to my benefit.....

I was a 'c' student throughout nursing school, lost everything in hurricane katrina, failed that semester, took a year off, came back and finished, was told by two instructors that 'people that score in your range tend to flunk the NCLEX the first time':trout: which was so discouraging...but i didn't listen, haha....and passed the first time....it stopped at 127 questions...had some mild anxiety after 75, but just took a deep breath and trudged on....

i think the key ingredient for NCLEX really is the ability to critically think.....and actually i have to watch out for that too because i'll either over or under think it..lol i guess that's where common sense comes in...

well i don't know if this helps, sorry it is so long, but just thought i'd give my 'rebellious way of studying the NCLEX'
Nazarite, RN:caduceus:

oh yes, and this was very very important:
I came to this forum for my moral/spiritual/mental health medicine, it helped sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much reading everyones advice/encouragement, etc....and I thank GOD for it and for all who've postedangel2::icon_hug:

quote from the 'last lecture of a dying professor': Brick walls are there to see how bad you want it.....

another quote, from mr. magorium's wonder emporium: 'Your life is the occasion,
Rise to it'

Kljanna,
Stopping early at 78 is a very good sign. I think you would have to get a lot of questions wrong if you failed at 78. Just think, people can get 200 questions and more. I bet the computer "knew" you passed!
Diahni

tnx for encouragement, diahni...i'm really nervous because this was my second attempt... my first try was i stopped at 265 and failed... i got 5 SATA dis time..I have to wait for 3 long wks because there was no quickresult for CALI...:trout:

Nov 29, '07

congrats. =)

Nov 29, '07

OK I am off to take my nclex... I pray for the fifith and FINAL time!!!!

I am nervous after having not taken it for 4 years, but I will be ok time I get there!!!!!

OK I am off to take my nclex... I pray for the fifith and FINAL time!!!!

I am nervous after having not taken it for 4 years, but I will be ok time I get there!!!!!

Good luck!

Nov 29, '07

:hatparty:congrats rirn2b!!!:hatparty:

Nov 29, '07

well it is all over and i pray for the final time!!!! i had 6 sata, 2 meds, 1 math and lots of priority and delegation questions. the computer stoped at 75q and i thought don't stop, but it did and now....i don't know what to think pass or fail...... i pray pass, but you know if i didn't i will take it again. after all this was my first time to retest after 4 years after graduating in 1999!

thanks to everyone that has included me in their prayers!!!!!i know the lord has a reason for everything and in a few days i will know if it was his will or not!!!

[font='times new roman']congradulation to all that have passed this month!!!!

[font='times new roman']good luck to all that will test in the future!!!

Nov 29, '07

Nazarite:
Hey, you passed! I know it! I think I had the same test - a bunch of math questions, but it really was the same one over and over. I thought
to myself, am I getting this wrong over and over again? Why does it keep asking me the same dumb basic equation? I agonized forever about the zero before the decimal point - it was hammered into our brains in nursing school to make sure you didn't give somebody 2 ml instead of .2 - and I laughed at the irony worrying about something that seemed like such a big deal in school.
What kind of values did you memorize? I memorized the lab numbers itemized by ncsbn, basic blood test values, blood gases, etc. and figured I would recognize common therapeutic drug values. But I have NO IDEA why the computer "decides" to give you a particular set of questions. Other than wondering why I had so many math problems, I really can't remember much at all, other than I felt badly when I left. Then I realized almost everybody feels like this, unless, of course you know every single answer cold.
Thanks for the input!
Diahni

well it is all over and i pray for the final time!!!! i had 6 sata, 2 meds, 1 math and lots of priority and delegation questions. the computer stoped at 75q and i thought don't stop, but it did and now....i don't know what to think pass or fail...... i pray pass, but you know if i didn't i will take it again. after all this was my first time to retest after 4 years after graduating in 1999!

thanks to everyone that has included me in their prayers!!!!!i know the lord has a reason for everything and in a few days i will know if it was his will or not!!!

congradulation to all that have passed this month!!!!

good luck to all that will test in the future!!!

sounds good, ohnonotagain! turning off at 75 is a good sign. after all, some people end up doing over 200, trying to convince the computer they passed. i think you'd have to bomb out terribly for the computer to give up on you after the minimum amount of questions. let us know!
diahni